These easy, light puffs of deliciousness are a real treat for those having to stay away from gluten (or not). They have little nuggets of warm feijoa and I love to serve them with a vanilla bean custard for dipping.
INGREDIENTS
1¼ cups plain, gluten-free flour
½ teaspoon baking powder (gf)
pinch of salt
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and mixed spice
3 tablespoons caster sugar
1 egg
3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 medium feijoas, peeled and diced 1cm pieces
To cook
vegetable oil
Cinnamon sugar (to serve)
½ cup caster sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
METHOD
Put 5cm of vegetable oil in a deep, medium-sized saucepan and heat to 170˚C on a sugar thermometer or until a piece of bread dropped into the oil turns golden within 30 seconds.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish and set aside for rolling cooked doughnuts.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Whisk the egg, milk, butter and the vanilla together then stir into the flour along with the feijoas until well combined.
Carefully drop tablespoons of the batter into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes until a good golden colour and puffed, turning to cook on all sides. Don’t overcrowd the pan as the oil temperature will drop rapidly and the doughnuts will be heavy.
Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Roll in the cinnamon sugar then place on a wire cooling rack in a 100°C oven until all the doughnuts are cooked. Eat immediately. Makes about 14
Pantry note: I use Bob’s Red Mill all purpose gluten-free flour. It’s available from good food stores and some supermarkets. You can also use regular plain flour.
Cook's tip: To peel the feijoas, slice off both ends and stand upright on a cutting board. Cut down the sides with a sharp knife making sure you remove all the green skin.

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As the days become shorter, and the nights cooler, the latest issue is perfectly timed to deliver delicious autumn dishes. From recipes using fresh seasonal produce such as feijoas and apples, to spectacular soothing soups and super-quick after-work meals in our Food Fast section, we’ve got you covered. With Easter on the horizon, we feature recipes that will see you through breakfast, lunch and dinner over a leisurely weekend holiday, and whip up chocolatey baking treats sure to please. We round up delicious dinners for two and showcase a hot new Korean cookbook before heading south to Dunedin to check out all that’s new in food and dining.The latest issue of dish is on sale NOW at all good bookstores and supermarkets – don’t miss it!